Battle of Liege 1914

5th Aug 1914   The Battle of Liege
The German Second Army crossed into neutral Belgium aiming to attack France from the north, and soon reached the key city of Liege, where their advance was checked by a relatively small number of Belgian soldiers under the command of Lieutenant General Leman. The city of Liege was defended by a ring of twelve underground forts built on high ground six miles outside the city in the 1880's, with retractable cupolas housing a total of 400 guns ranging in size up to six inch.
When the German Army reached the River Meuse a few miles from the city, they found the bridges had already been destroyed. They began to construct pontoons but soon came under fire from the 210mm howitzers, 150 and 120mm canons and 57mm rapid fire guns. The Belgian's had had little time to prepare and the hastily constructed earth works between the forts barely held back the German Forces and on the evening of the 5th the Germans carried out one of the first air raids with a Zeppelin dropping bombs on the city of Liege.

6th Aug 1914 The Battle of Liege

6th August 1914 Zeppelin raids.  On 6 August 1914 the German Zeppelin Z6 (LZ21) bombed the Belgian city of Liège, killing nine civilians. It was dropping artillery shells instead of bombs, but the ship's inadequate lift kept it at low altitude so that the bullets and shrapnel from defending fire penetrated the hull. The ship limped back towards Cologne, but had to be set down near Bonn in a forest, completely wrecking it.
John Doran

7th Aug 1914 The Battle of Liege

7th Aug 1914 Liege fort forced to capitulate

12th Aug 1914 German Siege Howitzer arrives at Liege

15th Aug 1914 The Battle of Liege  The Belgian commander of the Liege Forts, Lt. General Leman was buried under the rubble at Fort Loncin as it was destroyed by the German siege artillery. He was pulled unconscious from the debris by the Germans and was taken prisoner.

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Battle of Liege 1914
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Battle of Liege 1914

Want to know more about Battle of Liege 1914?

Those known to have served in Battle of Liege 1914during the Great War 1914-1918.

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Announcements

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- Battle of Liege 1914 in the Great War -

Those known to have served in
Battle of Liege 1914
during the Great War 1914-1918.